So I recieved my flasher in the mail today...

[yonderfishin]

....an old model I got off ebay, an lfp-250 Lowrance fish locator. It dosent seem to work , the thingy spins pretty good but I get a red light up at 0 and nothing else. While messing with the knobs ( figuring out if the thing works ) I got it to beep twice and show a flash ...but no matter what I do I cant get it to do it anymore. This was in the house with the transducer held about 4 feet off the floor. My best guess is that there is something wrong with it , unless someone out there that has experience with these old fish locator models that might know what Im doing wrong ??  Any help/suggestions are greatly appreciated. thanks

[InSearchOfPerch]

I had an old locator like that.  It would only work in water.  It wont give you a return to the floor holding it in the air.  If it wasnt in the water it would just give you a red blip at zero and that didnt change much when you cranked the sensitivity up.  I would try it in water before giving up.  I bet you get a decent reading. 

[Buck762]

U gotta put the transducer in water, my vex does the same until I put it in water. Thats why I couldn't figure out how they worked at the store when I played with em.

[fishwiz4]

i wouldnt get too worried yet.  i have a marcum VX-1, and i cannot get it to "work" in the house.  i know that when i turn it on, i can get marks all over the circle if i rub the ducer on the carpet, but if i set it up on the edge of the table and wave my foot under it, it is very tough to get it to mark.

a part of this is that the device send the sound and receives it, and the computer calculates the time it took and gives you a depth reading.  the speed of sound is different in air vs. water tho.  this complicates things.

my advice is to go to a lake, or some body of water that is accessable and where you can access water deeper than 5 ft.

try it there.  if you still have problems, then post those issues and people may be able to help.  untill then, try not to worry.  it sounds like your flasher might be working just fine.

[Norman Schrader]

I used to run a Lowrance service center for years and fixed many of these units.  It sounds like it is working OK.  As the other folks said, The transducer is tuned to work in water and loses much of its sensitivity in air.  The best out of water test to do is to turn the sensitivity all the way up and then rub your hand on the face of the transducer briskly.  You should see intermittent flashes around the dial.  If it does it is working fine.
They were good units for their day.  They are not as powerful as the new vex's or marcums however.
Good luck.
Norm

[k0diak]

Yep, you have to use it in the water...it won't work out...might get some funny readings out of the water.

[yonderfishin]

Cool, that gives me hope that my ebay gamble wasnt for nothing. I read, either on here or a different site that they would work with an air test just not as well so this was the reason for my concern. Thanks for the help and quick replies guys, this is a great site with a lot of good people 

[Melbs7]

I imagine it has to do with the density and conductivity of the water versus air?

[freaknsweet17]

 

[scares_fish]

Try holding the transducer 12-18 inches above a solid object such as a table.  You might get a reading this way. It will read much deeper that the height you are holding it at.  Now try running your hand under the transducer to see if anything shows up.  Make sure the transucer is as still as possible.  I know this works with a Vex, it might work with yours.  If it doesn't don't give up until you try it in water.  Just something that might work to lift your spirits.

[ispoman]

shouldve bought a vexilar

[yonderfishin]

shouldve bought a vexilar

wouldda , couldda, shouldda , ...... but christmas is already gonna be tight. Maybe next year   

[BojiHawk]

Sorry to hear it petered out on you man...I love hearing about good deals online.  I never really find any of them but I don't shop that hard either.  But...I have a penchant for vintage fishing equipent.  I hope to someday have a sweet Antique fishing room full of old reels, plugs, etc.  When I'm old enough to retire...I would love to have some old electronics integrated into lamps or something...